Dog found during storm to be reunited with owners

Monday

Dec 23, 2013 at 4:36 PM

PAULS VALLEY, Okla. (AP) — A Christmas miracle — maybe as a lost little puppy was somehow found in the middle of a recent winter storm passing through Pauls Valley and will soon be reunited with its owners from North Dakota.

His name is Max, a 5-week-old German Shepherd at the time when a couple of Pauls Valley ladies just happened to spot the little bundle as a chilly weather system moved in and sleet fell from the sky.

Instead of a very gloomy and maybe dangerous forecast for the little pup he was rescued setting up a truly happy holiday for both canine and human alike.

"Everybody here at Covercraft was thrilled," said Teresa Schuller, adding one of those ladies finding the lost dog was fellow Covercraft employee Crystal Eastep.

"We all thought he was a Christmas miracle," she said about Max. "We're all excited and thankful."

Both ladies said it was Thursday, Dec. 5 when all these events began to unfold, the Pauls Valley Democrat reported (http://bit.ly/J2s8OQ ).

As it happened Danny and Julie Moreno and their family from North Dakota were traveling down Interstate 35 as a large winter storm barreled its way southward.

At one point their jeep was involved in an accident near PV and towed to a shop for repairs with their dogs inside.

They soon discovered Max was missing as they thought maybe their larger dog stepped on a button resulting in a rolled down window. From there they believe Max fell or jumped out.

This news proved upsetting for the family as Mr. Moreno apparently searched for hours in the sleet and cold rain to find Max.

After finally giving up the family rented a vehicle and headed on to their final destination of Austin, Texas, where Max was to find his new home with Mr. Moreno's brother.

That same day the two Covercraft ladies were at the local Arby's drive-thru when they saw something in the middle of state Highway 19. It turned out to be shivering puppy all wet and covered with sleet.

The pup was taken back to where they work, the accounting office of Covercraft. Max was dried off, given some water and quickly ate up part of a sandwich before going to sleep in a corner.

After calling the local animal shelter it was Eastep who took the puppy home until they could decide what to do.

The answer came the very next day when Schuller and her husband joined a few other couples for dinner at a local restaurant.

Schuller said she asked if anyone was interested in adopting a puppy. Quickly she was asked if the dog was a German Shepherd.

That question came from a woman whose husband owns the very tow truck service used the previous day by the North Dakota couple. He also knew all about the missing puppy.

In a "fluke" or a holiday miracle or something, the man still had a piece of paper in his pocket with the couple's phone number.

During the call moments later Schuller said she could hear "screams of joy" on the other end as arrangements were made for the family to pick up Max on their way back through Pauls Valley.

"He was a gift for the way we found him and that he was OK," Eastep said about Max. "He's just a gift."

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